How to Keep Your Employees Motivated

It can be challenging to keep employees motivated in any organization in the face of deadlines, workloads, interpersonal conflicts, rules and directives. Proactive leaders are able to motivate their employees even when times get tough because they understand how to help people inspire themselves instead of forcing them to think and act a certain way. Here are some practical ideas on how to keep your employees motivated:

1. Praise employees. Catch people doing things well and let them know that you value their work. Praise desirable behaviors, it will increase the likelihood that people will behave that way in the future. Reinforce positive behaviors rather than correcting people when they’ve, “Done something wrong.”

2. Design and implement motivational activities. Create a weekly program in your workplace where people celebrate each other. You’ll appreciate how much you can boost morale by setting aside twenty minutes weekly so people can praise each other for a job well done.

3. Assign people meaningful work. Learn what your employees’ talents and interests are and give them duties based on things they enjoy doing. People feel more energized and important when they are given work that means something to them rather than being required to do unfulfilling tasks.

4. Value people equally. Stay away from having a favorite employee who gets special treatment or extraordinary attention. Treat everyone equally and emphasize that each person is vital to your organization’s success. Show people they matter by appreciating their unique input and efforts.

5. Have a plan to keep people motivated. Motivation doesn’t happen unless you commit to creating a culture that builds and supports it over time. Focus on a long-term process and have key people continue training others and motivating people throughout the organization.

Keeping your employees motivated requires commitment, attention and ongoing support. Try the five ideas we’ve talked about here, practice them over time and you’ll enjoy the benefits of a motivated workforce. What will you do to keep your employees motivated?